Pubdate: Mon, 17 Apr 2017 Source: Intelligencer, The (CN ON) Copyright: 2017, The Belleville Intelligencer Contact: http://www.intelligencer.ca/letters Website: http://www.intelligencer.ca/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2332 Author: Larry Comeau Page: B2 MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION A DANGEROUS MOVE Anyone who has visited Amsterdam or Seattle has a good idea of what marijuana legalization will do the degradation of inner city, with stoned young people all over the place. Sadly, Trudeau's theory that legalization of marijuana is the best way to keep it away from young people, by keeping organized crime out of black-market sales, is right out of fantasyland. Everywhere it has been legalized organized criminal groups have quickly gotten involved to take part in huge profits and little risk of serious jail time. In Ontario, OC already have networks in place to distribute cigarettes and other commodities, meaning selling pot will be an easy transition. Recent arrests of Hell Angels involved in blackmarket sales of medical marihuana show how out of touch Trudeau's views are with reality. With the U.K., USA and our own Canadian Medical Association all saying young people using marijuana have a drastically increased risk of suffering psychosis and other mental issues latter, parents should be very concerned, as we go down this dangerous path. Trudeau is ignoring CMA recommendations that nobody under 21 be allowed to purchase this drug. With marijuana containing 85 different cannabiniods, many with unknown effects on the human body, we are entering no man's land. We do know THC is the cause of the euphoria smoking pot gives and that today's hydroponically produced marijuana's THC content is much more potent than in day's gone by. One certainty is that legalization will add many more impaired drivers to our highways and more stress to our struggling healthcare system. Getting into the USA will become much more difficult with Trump clamping down on all drugs. Larry Comeau Ottawa - --- MAP posted-by: Matt